COMPLAINTS about tenancy breaches and anti-social behaviour in Fife Council properties have rocketed in Dunfermline and West Fife. In the whole of 2013-14 there were 525 complaints but in just half the time, the six months from April to September this year, staff have already had to deal with 641. The number of cases ending up in court are also on the rise with the council taking legal action against 99 tenants, leading to five evictions. Councillor Helen Law, the chair of the City of Dunfermline area committee, said, “These are usually people in the most difficulty who are living in the most chaotic state so rather than evict them, which disrupts everyone, we’re trying to find another way.

“We still have a responsibility to accommodate them in any case so eviction doesn’t always provide the answers.” There was a marked increase in the number of anti-social behaviour cases with 114 for the whole of 2013-14, compared to 157 for the first six months of this financial year.

The vast majority of complaints about tenancy breaches related to gardens (346), stairwells (95) and ‘nuisance’ 12.

A council report said the rise was down to “improved reporting and recording” and that their “firm but fair approach” had helped the vast majority of people they were taking legal action against to stay in their home.

Community wardens have monitored 62 ‘hot spot’ areas and properties to help prevent anti-social behaviour. The report said, “Wardens also worked in partnership with the MAIT (Mobile Alcohol Intervention Team) and the police to highlight the areas where young people are gathering and who would possibly benefit from an intervention.” In the south-west Fife area – which includes Rosyth, Inverkeithing, Dalgety Bay and the West Fife villages – the council has taken steps to tackle unruly residents. It said, “We have deployed a caretaker during this period of time to assist with the monitoring of breaches of tenancy. This has resulted in particular in an increase in the number of poorly-maintained gardens monitored and communal stairwell issues being addressed.

“This accounts for the increase in logged activity in the first half of 2014-15.

“The action taken as a result ranged from staff visits, warning letters, remedial work and finally escalation for legal action if required.”